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<channel><generator>iloblog 1.0</generator><title>designthoughts blog Feed</title><link>http://blog.designthoughts.co.uk/</link><description>the designthoughts blog offers advice, tips, news and more about designthoughts, up and coming events and more...</description><item><title>Newsletter</title><link>http://iloapp.designthoughts.co.uk/blog/blog?Home&amp;post=19</link><description><![CDATA[ Did you know we have a designthoughts newsletter? We send this out about once a month, and let you know about what we're up to, our new designs, and places we are exhibiting too. You can easily sign up to this at liz@designthoughts.co.uk or get in touch via the website email form.  Your contact details are never shared with anyone else, and will only be used for the newsletter (we hate annoying emails too) and anytime you want to unsubscribe you can just let us know too.   
 ]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 14 Oct 2011 12:04:18 +0100</pubDate><category>designthoughts news</category></item><item><title>The importance of design part 1</title><link>http://iloapp.designthoughts.co.uk/blog/blog?Home&amp;post=18</link><description><![CDATA[ Those of you that watch the adverts lately, (I simply can't resist sometimes) have you noticed how long some of them are? Take the new Muller one for instance with it's lovely use of all the characters we remember from when we were young..very colourful and eye catching you can't help but stay glued to the tv...and abit like the famous cadburys advert, with the gorilla and the drums, it too was very long, and catchy.  So it has made me realise that although we are in tough times at the moment, it has become very important for businesses to still stay ahead of the game with the marketing and design, spending money on keeping their look of their company fresh.  I too think it's important, after all there's nothing better than when you go in a shop for instance and see new things to pick up, sometimes the shop may have had that item in the store for quite some time, but a simple switch around, makes it look more appealing when it looks fresh again.  It's a bit like design really, sometimes a design doesn't have to be changed a lot, sometimes a different colour, different font or some fresh new images can be all it takes to keep customers interested and your brand appealing.   
 ]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 14 Oct 2011 11:57:42 +0100</pubDate><category>useful info</category></item><item><title>Designthoughts Christmas cards</title><link>http://iloapp.designthoughts.co.uk/blog/blog?Home&amp;post=17</link><description><![CDATA[ Hello on this wet day (if it's raining where you are) with the autumn/winter season approaching..we have been busily designing some cards, (in preparation for our shop) :) We have just received back our Christmas themed cards, all in preparation for the Christmas season and we thought we would share it with you.         
 ]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 04 Oct 2011 16:54:16 +0100</pubDate><category>designthoughts news</category></item><item><title>Personalised type cards.</title><link>http://iloapp.designthoughts.co.uk/blog/blog?Home&amp;post=16</link><description><![CDATA[ Mad about old fashioned type, and traditional ways of doing things?  Love the look of a one off item, that is not mass produced?  You may be interested in our limited edition new range of type inspired cards then.  Personalised to each individual, and each card is different..perfect for Christmas, thank you cards, or even just a favourite quote you have that you want on a card.  Each card uses hand stamped printing blocks, using non toxic, acid free and child safe inks..and because each card is different, no two will be the same.   Available in either black or gold ink.  Allowing up to 10 words on the card, each is priced at only £1.50, which includes free delivery (UK only) on an A5 card.  Here's one we made/designed earlier.  Why not get in touch to find out more...liz@designthoughts.co.uk          
 ]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 20 Sep 2011 13:56:00 +0100</pubDate><category>useful info</category></item><item><title>Shop coming soon...</title><link>http://iloapp.designthoughts.co.uk/blog/blog?Home&amp;post=15</link><description><![CDATA[ After a busy few months, with the exhibition and designing..designthoughts wanted to also promote a new online which will be coming very shortly too. yay!  Why have a Graphic design shop? Because we are passionate about our designs, we always like to doodle and express our designs in other forms, so with days at craft fairs, design fairs we wanted to concentrate on providing our customers with a range of bright and colourful graphic inspired gifts too. We figured that Graphic design can be used for a multitude of work, and as a way to get our designs out more too.  What the shop will feature..  The shop will feature an exciting collection of themed cards we have been working on over the past few months, a lovely cute collection of birds and bugs..as well as a range of the beach inspired pottery pattern designs (from the exhibition push) There will also be a range of badges and mini bookmarks too..a nlovely idea for Christmas presents.  What else?  Well we have decided that we will be supplying everything with free delivery (mainland UK only)..to keep costs down to you.  What's the plan for the future?  Of course we are Graphic designer's, so don't worry we are still continuing with this..but we will eventually be adding new designs, and ranges if the shop proves to be a succesful venture too.  Watch this space...  
 ]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 16 Sep 2011 12:08:08 +0100</pubDate><category>designthoughts news</category></item><item><title>designthoughts &#039;thoughts&#039; solo exhibition.</title><link>http://iloapp.designthoughts.co.uk/blog/blog?Home&amp;post=14</link><description><![CDATA[ designthoughts 'thoughts' first ever solo exhibition  Monday 5th September - Friday 9th September. 10.00 - 4.30pm  It's not long to go now until the first solo exhibition by designthoughts. Which will showcase a collection of my Graphic design, Illustrations and Photography..as well as a new collection I have designed.  Why? I have decided to do this exhibition, as I have now been trading for 2 years, (yipee) but I am still quite unknown in Cornwall, so I thought it would be a great way to showcase what I do, explain what I offer and do, as well as meeting some people that may be interested in finding out more.  It's not your normal exhibition, but more of a showcase really, as I will be showing some case study Graphic design projects I have worked on, as well as photography and illustrations. I wanted the exhibition to be for someone to go to and see just how much potential Graphic design has..not just purely stopping at an identity.  What's all the fuss about the new collection?  Well, from completing the Green Foundation course a month or so ago, it really kick started my passion for a project I had put on hold for a while.  I had basically started to collect little pieces of pottery from the beaches I walked on in Cornwall..I initially started to collect pieces of glass, because I liked the colours, but then I started to notice pottery too, and even better pottery with beautiful little patterns on them..I started to cherish and keep every piece that I had found.  Recently I started to wonder what I could do with the pottery, and how I could share it. So I started to illustrate these using the patterns on the pottery and my imagination to complete some of the missing patterns and started to produce my own patterns. I next transfered these onto greetings cards, and have now come up with a selection of 10.  I thought that the best way and most affordable way I could share my collection would be to transfer them onto greetings cards, and now at my exhibition I am telling the story as well as selling the unique cards.  What's this about Surfers Against Sewage?  I wanted to support a charity this year that had something to do with the sea and beaches, and with all the wonderful work that they do, I have decided to donate 10% of what I make over the week to them.  And lastly?  On the Monday evening 5th September, I am holding a launch, where I will be able to talk to people about any questions they may have. I am also holding a luxury raffle, where I have managed to have some fantastic prizes donated to me, from the following lovely people.  The GreenBank Hotel, Skinners brewery, Paula Crabb - Day Lewis (holistic therapist) The Penventon Hotel, Plain Lazy.  All of the money taken for the raffle will also be donated to Surfers Against Sewage.  There will also be wine, and nibbles for people to munch on too.  If anyone wants to find out more details, or times of the private launch feel free to contact myself Liz on liz@designthoughts.co.uk and I can get back to you with times etc...   
 ]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 31 Aug 2011 12:23:07 +0100</pubDate><category>events</category></item><item><title>When you look, how much do you sea?</title><link>http://iloapp.designthoughts.co.uk/blog/blog?Home&amp;post=13</link><description><![CDATA[ In a world of design and art everywhere we go, do you ever wonder where influences come from? A spark of an idea, a recycled idea or recycling of a literal piece of rubbish washed up on the shores?  That is where my new collection comes from...the sea. Next month I am holding an exhibition at the StudioFourSeven gallery in Redruth, Cornwall and within the exhibition of my designs I am also showcasing a new range of patterns transformed onto greetings cards on the soon to be 'designthoughts' shop.  The exhibition titled 'thoughts' is designed to make people think about where design comes from and the influences we get from it.  My new collection came about from my last year in Uni. In my final project I decided that I wanted to concentrate on my love of the sea and just how diverse the coast was..I spent a lot of time on the beach and whilst walking noticed a lot of tiny pieces of seaglass and then pottery. Whilst most of the pottery was plain, when I started to turn them over to my amazement, some had wonderful and unusual patterns on them. Some were very bright and detailed, others had one or two swirls on them.   At the time I just kept them, but once I collected more and more of it, I thought to myself how can I bring all these little lovley patterns into a design form?  This is when my new collection was born, and it is a huge passion of mine. It also made me ponder a few things such as where the pottery came from, how old it was, and how long it had been bobbing up and down in the sea for before being chucked out of the sea again. It was almost mother nature's way of recycling annoying marine litter, 'I don't want you in my ocean' and finding it's way onto the shore for sometime to find a little gem, with smoothed corners and unique patterns.  The pottery however is not plentiful, I have only found a couple of beaches that have been perfect, and even then when I have found plain pottery, only sometimes do I find a piece with a design on it.  Some of the designs I have made into repeating patters, others on it's own, but the main important thing with the collection is to inspire people to really take notice of the little things in the world, and how design is so diverse.  I am a Graphic designer by nature, with an illustrative, artistic and photographic background, so the point of the exhibition is to share and engage with others.   
 ]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 12 Aug 2011 12:55:12 +0100</pubDate><category>designthoughts news</category></item><item><title>designthoughts &#039;thoughts&#039; exhibition</title><link>http://iloapp.designthoughts.co.uk/blog/blog?Home&amp;post=12</link><description><![CDATA[ What a fantasic week, we are busily organising an event for our exhibition at StudioFourSeven in Redruth in September and during the week we are holding a launch party with a raffle with all profits going to Surfers Against Sewage.  We have already had lovely support from Paula Crabb with her beauty and holistic therapy treatments, The Greenbank Hotel and now Skinners Brewary, so we would like to say a massive thank you for donations for the raffle.  Look out for more updates about the exhibition as the weeks go nearer to September.   
 ]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 05 Aug 2011 11:59:35 +0100</pubDate><category>designthoughts news</category></item><item><title>designthoughts &#039;thoughts&#039; exhibition</title><link>http://iloapp.designthoughts.co.uk/blog/blog?Home&amp;post=11</link><description><![CDATA[ Hello,    We are very excited here at designthoughts. To really make people aware of what we do, and what Graphic design is all about we are holding a special one week exhibition at StudioFourSeven in Redruth, Cornwall between 5th - 9th September.     We are celebrating a few things, firstly the fact we are now 2 years trading :)  and second of all we are also launching a new product range, all in the line up to having a shop part with all things graphics on our website.      The product launch is a huge passion of what we do, and it all takes inspiration from the sea and recycling patterns into design.     The 'thoughts' exhibition is designed to make a person think about all the possibilities Graphic design has, who we have worked with, what we do and how we think.     So, if you fancy popping in over the course of the week, we will be there to have a chat to, if you want to talk about design, come and see what we do and also while your there have a look around the fantastic gallery that is StudioFourSeven as there are lots of lovely things in there too.     During the course of the week designthoughts will be selling some of the items we have made for the product launch and we will be there to share the story that goes behind the inspiration.     Can't wait 
 ]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 03 Aug 2011 10:27:20 +0100</pubDate><category>events</category></item><item><title>GreenFoundation time to say goodbye..</title><link>http://iloapp.designthoughts.co.uk/blog/blog?Home&amp;post=10</link><description><![CDATA[ So, the programme for me (group 13) has finished, and what a great few days we all had, and been looked after very well from Eden Project. We all received one of these certificates to indicate us taking part on the programme, and the final celebration event had us and 3 other groups take part along with guest speakers such as Chris Hines (SAS) with a very inspiring talk.    
 ]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:09:03 +0100</pubDate><category>designthoughts news</category></item></channel>
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